Fall Foods for Fuel

Fall is around the corner, are you fueling your body with the right foods?

Our external environment is important for optimal health and wellbeing. Each season we’re blessed with a variety of delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables.

Many food products are commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine for their therapeutic effects, such as ginger, yam, dates and watermelon. Food is also viewed as medicine in its own right. What you eat, how you eat and how you prepare your food is therefore vitally important. The choices you make in relation to food and eating can have a great impact (good or bad) on your health.

During the cooler months of fall and winter it is important to support your digestive system and your overall health by ingesting more warm (temperature) and warming (nature) foods and drinks. The nature and properties of the food we eat can be enhanced by the cooking methods we choose to use. In winter it is best to minimize the amount of raw and cold foods and drinks you have, as well as ensuring you don’t have too much salt. It is better to have cooked foods, such as baked, stewed or steamed dishes, and drinks that are either warm or at least room temperature.

The sun is setting sooner, the nights are getting cooler and wool socks are starting to sound like a good idea. This is the perfect time to celebrate the seasonal produce gems of autumn! Head to your local market and fill your basket with these fall produce picks.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is full of fiber and beta-carotene, which provides its vibrant orange color. Beta-carotene converts into vitamin A in the body, which is great for your skin and eyes. To balance pumpkin’s sweetness, try adding savory herbs, such as sage and curry.

Beets

Beets are edible from their leafy greens down to the bulbous root. The leaves are similar to spinach and are delicious sautéed. The grocery store most likely will carry red beets; your local farmers market may have more interesting varieties, such as golden or bull’s blood, which has a bullseye pattern of rings. The red color in beets is caused by a phytochemical called betanin, making beet juice a natural alternative to red food coloring. Beets are a source of naturally occurring nitrates and may help to support healthy blood pressure. Roasting or steaming beets whole takes the fuss out of peeling — the skin easily slides off after cooking. They also are delicious raw, shredded and tossed in salads or thinly sliced and baked into chips.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are full of fiber and vitamin A. Sweet potatoes also are a good source of potassium and vitamin C. Try them as a breakfast side dish, or serve them at any meal.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a fun, kid-friendly vegetable that is a lower-calorie and gluten-free alternative to grain-based pasta. Cut it in half to reveal a pocket of seeds; scoop those out and pop the two halves into the microwave or oven and cook until tender. Scrape a fork into the flesh and spaghetti-like strands appear! Voilà! Toss with pesto or marinara sauce for a quick veggie side dish.

Kale

Kale — we can’t get enough of this luscious leafy green and with good reason. Kale is a nutrient powerhouse. It tastes sweeter after a frost and can survive a snowstorm. If you plant kale in your garden, you can dig it out of the snow and serve fresh salad in January! One cup of raw kale has only 8 calories and is loaded with vitamins A, C and K as well as manganese. Kale is great sautéed and cooked in soup, but also is excellent raw in salad; simply remove tough stems, slice into thin slivers and pair with something a bit sweet such as carrots or apples. One advantage of using kale for your leafy greens is that you can add your dressing ahead of time; the kale becomes more tender and delicious, not wilted.

Pears

When we can buy fruits year-round, we tend to forget they have seasons. Pears are the most delicious in the fall when they’re at their peak. Pears are unique in that they do not ripen on the tree; they will ripen at room temperature after they’re picked. How do you know when they are ready to eat? Check the neck! If the fruit near the stem gives to a little pressure, it is ripe. There are a wide range of pear flavors and textures. And, just like apples, some are excellent eaten fresh while others are best cooked or canned for the winter. Try pears on the grill, poached in red wine, tucked into a panini, pureed into soup or a smoothie, or simply sliced with cheese and wine. If you eat the peel too, one medium pear has 6 grams of fiber.

Okra

Okra commonly is fried, but also is wonderful in other forms. Around the world, chefs cherish the thickening properties of the seed pods in dishes from Louisiana gumbo to Indian curries and other stews. If you wish to minimize the thickening property, try okra briefly stir-fried. The pods are high in vitamins K and C, a good source of fiber, an excellent source of folate and low in calories. At the market, look for pods that are no longer than 4 inches and are bright green in color and firm to the touch.

Parsnips

Parsnips are cousins to carrots — they have the same root shape but with white flesh. They’re typically eaten cooked, but also can be eaten raw. One-half cup of cooked parsnips is full of fiber (3 grams) and contains more than 10% of the daily values of vitamin C and folate. Try these pale beauties roasted, pureed into soup or mashed. You can even top a shepherd’s pie with mashed parsnips instead of the traditional mashed potatoes!

Cranberries

Fall is the time to get to know these tart berries and their wealth of nutritional benefits. They contain a compound called proanthocyanidin which may prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to your bladder wall. Fresh and dried cranberries pair well with a variety of meats and poultry. Fresh cranberries can be eaten raw but often are cooked. Dried cranberries are delicious in grain and vegetable salads and make a healthy snack on the go.